Palmerton is gearing up for its annual Christmas in the Park celebration on Saturday.

The event will begin at noon in the Palmerton Borough Park with the tree lighting at 4:30 p.m. Rain date is Sunday.Well-wishers are welcome to greet Santa Claus as he arrives via horse and buggy at 1 p.m. escorted by the Palmerton and Aquashicola fire departments to ensure his safe arrival. Santa will be traveling down Delaware Avenue with a stop at the bandstand to visit with the children and hear what they want for Christmas. Parents will need to bring their own cameras to take pictures.After visiting Santa, children will receive a goodie bag. They may also enter their name for a chance to win a prize. Prizes include a bike, a season pass to Palmerton pool for the summer of 2016, a Toys R Us gift card or a wagon.Donations of new, unwrapped toys also will be accepted for Toys for Tots, and nonperishable food items will be collected for the CACPAC Food Pantry.There are plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy.In addition to Santa, children may want to get their photos taken with the Minions or get their face painted. Grown-ups may want to do a little Christmas shopping. Local crafters have a variety of wares including holiday decorations, woodworking items, primitive crafts, painted wine bottles, sewn and crocheted items, and more.Hungry? Warm up with pizza, hot dogs, soups, fries or pirogies. Go for dessert with a warm funnel cake or take home a baked item from one of the vendors.Enjoy the choirs and instrumentalists as they sing and play songs of the season. After the trees are lit, join in the caroling at the bandstand with a public singalong sponsored by Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area churches.In addition to Christmas in the Park, the Palmerton Concourse Club is hosting a Christmas House Tour. The four homes on the tour are: the Goidich Home, 401 Columbia Ave.; Beck-Hager Home, 469 Columbia Ave.; Federanich Home, 418 Princeton Ave.; and Steigerwalt-Eberwein Home, 1124 Circle Ave. Tours will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, with a rain date on Sunday. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased at the Palmerton Library and the Heritage Center, both on Delaware Avenue.Christmas in the Park is sponsored by the Palmerton Holiday Lights Committee. Other sponsors include Pencor, Palmerton Memorial Park, Country Harvest market, local individuals and businesses, and Georges P&H Aquashicola for obtaining and sponsoring the horse and wagon.Schedule of events• Noon - Opening ceremony with invocation by the Rev. Canon Doris Bray, Mayor Christopher Olivia's address, the Palmerton United Veterans Organization Color Guard and choral selections by S.S. Palmer Elementary School chorus. Food and craft vendors open.• 12:30 p.m. - Chimers of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church perform.• 1 to 3 p.m. - Santa Claus at the bandstand with bike and toy wagon giveaways.• 1:15 to 4 p.m. - Horse-drawn wagon rides available.• 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. - Pictures with the Minions.• 2 to 3 p.m. - Strolling Brass Quintet• 3:15 to 4 p.m. - Choruses from Towamensing Elementary School and Palmerton High School• 4 to 4:30 p.m. - Holiday Homecoming Chorus• 4:30 p.m. - Lighting of the 75 decorated Christmas trees• 4:45 p.m. - Public singalong of Christmas carols with the Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area Churches.